Trip reports

Fieldtrip - Wharfedale

Kingfisher - John Busby RSPB resources

Sunday, 19 July 2009

It was an early start for this slightly longer trip to Wharfedale, but having had to miss the last two fieldtrips I was eager to be up and away. And the sun was shining, in Northumberland anyway.
We headed for Bolton Abbey through beautiful North Yorkshire Dales countryside, and arrived mid-morning at the large park bordering the River Wharfe where we were to spend the day. The venue offered a good variety of short or longer walks, places to sit and bird-watch, and a useful-looking tearoom!
Some of us set off on a riverside walk which initially took us through quite dense woodland, which was fortunate because when the heavens opened we managed to keep reasonably dry while still being able to watch the river. Not that we saw many birds however, and the solitary Moorhen got more than its fair share of attention. The wild flowers along the river were worth spotting though, and I particularly enjoyed the tall, pale mauve Bellflowers amongst the Meadowsweet, tentatively identified as the Giant Bellflower.
When we reached the Strid, a narrow chasm through which the very full river thundered alarmingly, the rain had stopped but the rocks were wet and slippery, so worth heeding the warning that no-one who fell into the Strid was ever brought out alive!
I missed the Dipper that was seen flying upstream, but this disappointment was amply made up for by watching a young Redstart hopping about on a riverside rock waiting for periodic feeds from its attentive mother. Another highlight was watching Sand Martins coming and going from their nests in the river bank, and wheeling and feeding over the meadow.
After a picnic lunch, during which we were glad of a large oak tree to shelter us from the next downpour, we crossed the bridge and headed back along the other side of the river. Some of us who had lingered behind to watch for Grey Wagtails, and seen one juvenile, were delighted by a fabulous Kingfisher display. Not the usual quick flash of blue for us, but a full act - up and down the river, perching on this side then that side, then a farewell orange-bellied body-roll before flying off upstream. Fantastic!
I wouldn't have minded if I hadn't seen many other birds after that, but there was another treat in store when we caught up with the others at the wooden shelter in Strid Wood. We stood watching Nuthatches and Treecreepers, together with Blue Tits, Great Tits and Chaffinches in a small area of oakwood that was particularly bird prolific. There was a female Blackcap too which was rather more elusive but most of us managed to get a glimpse of it.
Arriving back at the tearoom in time for refreshment before the coach left, we had good views of Swifts and House Martins over the river, and a distant view of a Buzzard. Plenty of Mallard on the river, and I learnt how to identify the males in eclipse from the females -although they might look very similar I can now tell the males by the reddish tinge to the breast and a slightly yellower beak. That's one of the great things about going out with the group, you always learn something new. One of these days I'll try to get to grips with the little brown butterflies that we saw!
Denise Morphet

BIRD LIST
Grey Heron
Greylag Geese
Canada Geese
Mallard
Common Buzzard
Kestrel
Pheasant
Moorhen
Oystercatcher
Lapwing
Curlew
Black Headed Gull
Herring Gull
Lesser Black Backed Gull
Feral Pigeon
Wood Pigeon
Swift
Kingfisher
Sand Martin
Swallow
House Martin
Grey Wagtail
Wren
Dipper
Dunnock
Robin
Redstart
Blackbird
Garden Warbler
Blackcap
Great Tit
Coal Tit
Blue Tit
Long Tailed Tit
Nuthatch
Treecreeper
Magpie
Jackdaw
Carrion Crow
Rook
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch Species 43

Small White Butterfly
Meadow Brown Butterfly
Ringlet
Small Skipper